Child-resistant package, closure and container
A child-resistant package includes a container having an open mouth surrounded by a wall and a closure engagement element extending circumferentially part-way but not completely around the wall. The portion of the wall into which the engagement element does not extend is resiliently inwardly flexible. A closure has a base portion that engages an end of the container wall around the mouth and an engagement portion that engages the engagement element on the container wall. The portion of the container wall that is inwardly flexible permits manual engagement with the base portion of the closure to remove the closure from the container.
Latest Rexam Prescription Products Inc. Patents:
- Closure and container package with child-resistant and non-child-resistant modes of operation
- Child-resistant closure, package and method of making
- Child-resistant closure, container and package convertible to non-child-resistant operation
- Closure and container package having child-resistant and non-child-resistant modes of operation
- Child-resistant closure and package convertible to non-child-resistant operation
The present disclosure relates to child-resistant packages, such as prescription packages for example, and to closures and containers for such packages.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure involves a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A child-resistant package, in accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, includes a container having an open mouth surrounded by a wall and a closure engagement element extending circumferentially part-way but not completely around the wall. The portion of the wall into which the engagement element does not extend is resiliently inwardly flexible. A closure has a base portion that engages an end of the container wall around the mouth and an engagement portion that engages the engagement element on the container wall. The portion of the container wall that is inwardly flexible permits manual engagement with the base portion of the closure to remove the closure from the container. In an exemplary embodiment according to this aspect of the disclosure, the engagement element on the container includes an internal bead, and the closure includes an annular wall extending from the base portion of the closure with an external bead for snap-engagement over the internal bead on the container wall. Thus, to open the package in a child-resistant mode of operation, the portion of the container wall in which the internal bead is absent is pressed radially inwardly to enable manual engagement with an undersurface of the base portion of the closure, and the closure is then pushed away from the container to disengage the respective beads.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the closure and container are adapted for a non-child-resistant mode of operation by providing an internal bead around the open mouth of the container and a peripheral bead around the base portion of the closure. The closure thus may be inverted so that the peripheral bead on the closure base portion can be received by snap-fit over the internal bead around the container mouth. In accordance with a third aspect of the disclosure, the container is configured to facilitate stacking of containers in an automatic prescription filling system, for example. The container sidewall has an upper cylindrical portion on which at least one closure engagement element is disposed and a lower conical portion extending from the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion is radially outwardly offset from the conical portion, so that the conical portions of the containers can be nested one within another with the cylindrical portions in stacked engagement to facilitate removal.
The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
At least one closure engagement element is disposed on container sidewall section 28 for securement of closure 24 (
In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, there is an internal bead 42 that extends around the container mouth at the upper edge of sidewall section 28. (Directional words such as “axial” and “radial” are employed by way of description and not limitation with respect to the central axis of the container or the closure as appropriate. Directional words such as “upper” and “lower” are employed by way of description and not limitation with respect to the upright orientation of the package, container and closure illustrated in the drawings.) As will be described, this internal bead 42 preferably is provided to facilitate a non-child-resistant mode of operation of package 20. Although bead 42 is provided in the preferred exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, bead 42 is not necessary in accordance with all aspects of the present disclosure. Bead 42, when provided, can be circumferentially continuous, as shown, or circumferentially discontinuous.
Closure 24 (
In a child-resistant mode of operation illustrated in
In the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, anon-child-resistant mode of operation is provided by peripheral bead 52 on closure base portion 44 and internal bead 42 around the container mouth. That is, closure 24 is inverted (
As shown in
There thus have been disclosed a package, a container and a closure that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with a presently preferred embodiment, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A child-resistant package that includes:
- a container having an open mouth surrounded by a wall and a closure engagement element extending circumferentially part-way but not completely around said wall, a portion of said wall into which said engagement element does not extend being resiliently inwardly flexible, and
- a closure having a base portion that engages an end of said mouth and an engagement portion that engages said engagement element on said wall,
- said portion of said wall being inwardly flexible to permit manual engagement with said base portion of said closure for removal of said closure by disengagement between said engagement portion of said closure and said engagement element on said container.
2. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said engagement element on said container is disposed on an inside surface of said wall.
3. The package set forth in claim 2 wherein said engagement element comprises an internal bead on said wall.
4. The package set forth in claim 3 wherein said bead is circumferentially continuous except at said portion of said wall.
5. The package set forth in claim 3 wherein said engagement portion of said closure includes an annular wall extending from said base portion and an external bead on said annular wall.
6. The package set forth in claim 5 wherein said external bead is circumferentially continuous.
7. The package set forth in claim 5 wherein said closure is hollow within said annular wall.
8. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall on said container has an internal bead, and wherein said base portion of said closure has an external bead for a snap-receipt over said internal bead in an inverted non-child-resistant mode of operation of said closure.
9. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said container wall has a first section adjacent to said mouth and a second section spaced from said mouth, said first section of said wall being radially outwardly offset from said second section to facilitate nested stacking of the containers.
10. The package set forth in claim 9 wherein said first section of said wall is cylindrical and said second section of said wall is frustoconical.
11. A child-resistant package that includes:
- a container having an open mouth surrounded by a wall with a first internal bead around said mouth and a second internal bead spaced from said mouth, said second internal bead extending part-way but not completely around said wall, a portion of said wall into which said second internal bead does not extend being resiliently inwardly flexible, and
- a closure having a base portion with a flat undersurface that engages an end of said first wall portion around said mouth, a first external bead on said base portion, an annular wall that extends from said undersurface and a second external bead on said annular wall,
- said second external bead on said annular wall being receivable by snap-fit over said second internal bead on said container wall to secure said closure to said container in a child-resistant mode of operation of said package, said portion of said wall being inwardly flexible to permit manual engagement with said undersurface of said base portion for removal of said closure,
- said first external bead on said closure base portion being receivable by snap-fit over said first internal bead on said container wall in an inverted non-child-resistant mode of operation of said package.
12. The package set forth in claim 11 wherein said second internal bead on said wall is circumferentially continuous except at said portion of said wall.
13. The package set forth in claim 11 wherein said container wall has a first section adjacent to said mouth and a second section spaced from said mouth, said first section of said wall being radially outwardly offset from said second section to facilitate nested stacking of the containers.
14. The package set forth in claim 13 wherein said first section of said wall is cylindrical and said second section of said wall is frustoconical.
1761603 | June 1930 | Wainwright |
2047281 | July 1936 | Merolle |
2154118 | April 1939 | Ames |
2365737 | December 1944 | White |
2563352 | August 1951 | Morse |
2754866 | July 1956 | Coltman, Jr. |
2990076 | June 1961 | Stull |
3100589 | August 1963 | Love, Jr. |
3105621 | October 1963 | Francis |
3136439 | June 1964 | Kuehn |
3159305 | December 1964 | Fischbach |
3189072 | June 1965 | Starr |
3215300 | November 1965 | Lynch |
3360152 | December 1967 | Leers |
3398848 | August 1968 | Donovan |
3630403 | December 1971 | Berg |
3667637 | June 1972 | Bagguley et al. |
3815770 | June 1974 | Guala |
3830393 | August 1974 | Schaefer |
3991895 | November 16, 1976 | Thornton |
4135512 | January 23, 1979 | Godsey |
4209100 | June 24, 1980 | Uhlig |
4397397 | August 9, 1983 | Herr |
4406376 | September 27, 1983 | Berghahn |
4423822 | January 3, 1984 | Powalowski |
4449639 | May 22, 1984 | Davis |
4457437 | July 3, 1984 | Heath, Jr. |
4524876 | June 25, 1985 | Kusz |
4526281 | July 2, 1985 | Herr |
4657141 | April 14, 1987 | Sorensen |
4671421 | June 9, 1987 | Reiber et al. |
4755342 | July 5, 1988 | Biermann |
4940167 | July 10, 1990 | Fillmore et al. |
5031784 | July 16, 1991 | Wright |
5038454 | August 13, 1991 | Thornock et al. |
5125512 | June 30, 1992 | O'Leary |
5137260 | August 11, 1992 | Pehr |
5180072 | January 19, 1993 | Oehlert |
5292017 | March 8, 1994 | Reifers |
5383564 | January 24, 1995 | Hamilton et al. |
5618004 | April 8, 1997 | Klearman et al. |
6170710 | January 9, 2001 | Suffa |
6612450 | September 2, 2003 | Buono |
7185776 | March 6, 2007 | Konefal |
20020148846 | October 17, 2002 | Luburic |
20030085228 | May 8, 2003 | Oakes |
20040178165 | September 16, 2004 | Konefal et al. |
20050263477 | December 1, 2005 | Konefal et al. |
05085582 | April 1993 | JP |
Type: Grant
Filed: May 12, 2005
Date of Patent: Sep 22, 2009
Assignee: Rexam Prescription Products Inc. (Perrysburg, OH)
Inventor: John M. Shingle (Perrysburg, OH)
Primary Examiner: Anthony D Stashick
Assistant Examiner: Robert J Hicks
Attorney: Reising Ethington PC
Application Number: 11/129,245
International Classification: B65D 39/00 (20060101); B65D 41/16 (20060101);